Rakim Jarrett’s Strong Push For Bucs Roster Spot

The team has second-year incumbent Deven Thompkins, who flashed in last year’s preseason before latching on to the roster late in the season. He is again standing out in training camp so far. Similarly, Kaylon Geiger had an impressive camp last year but did not get a chance to work in the regular season.

The Bucs also signed veteran David Moore, who spent four years in Seattle with new offensive coordinator Dave Canales, but did not play in 2022. The team used a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on Nebraska speedster Trey Palmer.

To round out their receiver room for training camp, the team signed a slew of undrafted rookie free agents. One of those UDFAs is standing out and making an extremely compelling case to secure one of the final roster spots on the team.

Rakim Jarrett Is Turning Heads

While those first three receiver spots are locked in, the WR4-6 roles are extremely wide open. Maryland product Rakim Jarrett is making a play to be in the conversation for one of those jobs.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles had incredibly high praise for Jarrett when I asked him about the rookie during Saturday’s media availability.

“We know the athlete he is,” Bowles said. “Again, with him, it’s all about learning the scheme and understanding where he needs to be on the field. His ball-catching and route-running skills are very good. His run-after-the-catch is outstanding. It’s just getting the scheme down and playing it the right way. But we are looking forward to him having a couple of preseason games where we can see him put that together.

Baker Mayfield, one of the quarterbacks throwing him the ball in training camp, has also sung Jarrett’s praises.

“Rakim Jarrett – obviously a young guy, and I think we got a huge steal out of him,” Mayfield said. “[He is] just extremely talented. The way he is able to run his routes and stay grounded through the catch – he’s not jumping up for balls that are hitting him in the face – he’s catching it and finishing through.”

Jarrett has been consistently hauling in passes and creating after the catch.

Bucs Rookie WR Showed Promise But Lacked Production In College

Rakim Jarrett’s highlight reel can match that of any other receiver in quality but lacked similar quantity to that of, say, a Quentin Johnston out of TCU.

Jarrett played three seasons at Maryland and amassed only 119 catches, 1,552 yards, and 10 touchdowns over just 28 games. Jarrett’s best season came in 2021 when he caught 62 passes for 829 yards and five touchdowns.

Without a signature season on his resume, Jarrett needed to show out during the NFL Scouting Combine. His performance during the Combine was solid, but not jaw-dropping.

Jarrett’s smaller stature and lack of production, combined with his lack of contested catches (only four catches in 22 opportunities for his college career, according to Pro Football Focus), led him to not getting drafted.

But many had draftable grades for Jarrett. The Draft Network gave him a fourth-round grade. I myself had him with a Day 3 grade. Here were my notes after watching his Maryland tape:

Pros

Good speed and great acceleration – creates an easy burst, especially after the catch. He is a true creator with the ball in his hands, destroying defender’s angles. He finds holes in zone defense and tracks the ball well in the air.

Cons

Profiles mostly to the slot. He struggles to win in tight spaces when defenders are contesting the catch. Can suffer from concentration lapses that lead to dropped passes. Shorter arms will make it difficult for him to ever be a consistent perimeter receiver.

The pros outweighed the cons, and when I heard of the Bucs signing Jarrett, I was excited to see what he could do.

Rakim Jarrett’s Elite Skill Profiles Well For Bucs’ Offense

Todd Bowles referred to Rakim Jarrett’s ability after the catch in his response to my question about the young receiver. I noted it in my scouting report. But Jarrett’s YAC ability is truly special. Here are two examples that will hopefully help you understand how special that ability is. In the first clip, Jarrett is No. 5 lined up in the right slot.

Coming across the middle on a crossing route, Jarrett corrals the pass. But as soon as he does, the incredible begins. Jarrett’s explosive nature takes over as he easily separates from his defender while simultaneously ruining the pinching safeties pursuit line. Once he gets the corner, he is gone.

In the second clip, Jarrett (again, No. 5) is lined up in the inside slot to the field side. He runs a quick hitch, and after making the catch and starting up-field, he quickly shifts to his left to leave a defender in the dust before picking up another 18 yards.

In 2021 Jarrett ranked 12th in college football among all receivers with at least 79 targets in average yards after catch per reception. And that skill could play up well in the Bucs’ new offense. Looking over the Top 20 of the NFL’s YAC leaders in 2022 and it is a veritable who’s who of receivers from the Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay wide zone/mid zone offense that the Bucs are installing this year.

Jaylen Waddle of the Dolphins, a YAC monster in college at Alabama himself, just came off of an incredible season in which he led the NFL in yards after catch/reception at 6.9 in his first season in a wide zone offense.

Jarrett isn’t on the same level as Waddle, but his YAC ability is a unique skill set. That, combined with his strong camp, should have him earning a roster spot with the Bucs and potentially seeing some specialized playtime as a gadget player in 2023.